Ray Crosby, the principal owner and president of Champion Safe Co., says he was never "an expert" on the paperwork required to show a worker is legally allowed to work in the United States. He is now. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell fined the Provo company $80,000 for harboring undocumented immigrants and placed it on three years' probation, giving immigration officials the right to inspect paperwork on workers' employment eligibility without prior notice.

"There's a lot of burden placed on small employers today," Crosby said, but added the safe-manufacturing business will abide by the law. Employers are required to check documentation, such as birth certificates and work permits, to confirm new hires can work in the United States.

Prosecutors say that despite being notified by the government in 2000 that about 15 of its employees were working with incorrect or fraudulent Social Security numbers, Champion Safe continued to employ undocumented workers. Authorities raided the business in February 2003 and detained 107 employees in its 150-person work force. No workers were prosecuted, but many were deported.

Crosby pleaded guilty on behalf of the company last fall to harboring undocumented workers. - Pamela Manson

Employers are required to check documentation, such as birth certificates and work permits, to confirm new hires can work in the United States.

Except for those unscrupulous employers who want to try and get an unfair (as in illegal) leg up on their competition and/or enhance there jingle in their pockets by hiring slave wage (illegal undocumented immigrants aka illegal alien) workers and not paying taxes nor a livable wage on the already poverty-level wages paid to them. Sorry, no sympathy here.

In fact, these business owners need to be identified and excoriateed in the public square at every opportunity to show they are law breakers in our communities and are unworthy of our support or respect. We should also consider refusing to buy or use their product or business until they have sufficiently paid for their unlawful behavior.

6
posted on 01/19/2005 1:09:15 AM PST
by Ron H.
(Christian first and foremost, Conservative profoundly and resolutely second and Republican dead last)

Prosecutors say that despite being notified by the government in 2000 that about 15 of its employees were working with incorrect or fraudulent Social Security numbers

It wasn't his paper work that got him into trouble. If false documents (unknown and undetectable) are presented ie drivers license, social security card etc. and I9's are processed his paper work was in order. HOWEVER when notified by S.S.A. that these documents were fraudulent this employer continued to employ these individuals for another 3 years. The employer should have suspended these employees until they could produce proof of employment eligibility. (They almost never do.)Big mistake.

7
posted on 01/19/2005 1:18:22 AM PST
by DaveTesla
(You can fool some of the people some of the time......)

Hiring illegals is not only fraud it is stealing and should be a felony with jailtime. These employers are stealing from American workers, taxpayers, legal immigrants and their competitors at the very least. They are also abetting criminal activity and stealing our security. Put the burden back on them and ENFORCE the laws.

And this guy is based in Utah County, the reddest part of the reddest state? There are ample people willing to work for minimum wage living in Utah county legally. The only possible conclusion is that he felt it was too expensive.

10
posted on 01/19/2005 3:53:38 AM PST
by Vigilanteman
(crime would drop like a sprung trapdoor if we brought back good old-fashioned hangings)

I've been in charge of that paperwork for a small business and its not rocket science.

Ditto!

Then there are employers that don't even put employees on the books. I know of an area in town where the hispanics line up everyday and wait for someone to come by and pick them up to work for the day. They get paid $50.00 cash and work 10-12 hours a day. Slave labor = bigger profit for boss.

If you need me, I'll be at the old Roach Motel, aka the good old USA. Remember the predictions from 20-30-100 yrs. ago that the starving, hopeless World population of color would one day become a swarm of Locust overtaking the Western Richee countries.... Who were those pronasticators?

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